Realio Sparkzwell shares his new EP titled ‘The Main Ingredient’.

The Main Ingredient is something to roll up and blaze to, meditate and vibe to.”—Realio Sparkzwell on his latest release. Known for his hard-bodied raps and collaborations with his Iron Galaxy Clik cohort, Cannibal Ox, New York’s Realio Sparkzwell showcases his producer chops and penchant for slick wordplay on his brand-new EP, The Main Ingredient.

What makes the project particularly compelling is its juxtaposition of laid back and rugged, a quality that the Syracuse native captured perfectly with his approach. As he tells it, “This EP is an art piece, a tribute to one of the greatest R&B/soul groups ever—The Main Ingredient.” With their chopped-up classics as his backdrop, Sparkzwell was free to “spit some streetwise lyrical wizardry with meaning and esoteric insight,” he said.

The result is a quick-hitting EP that comes to life thanks to its well-defined vision. Sparkzwell complements his source material with bars reminiscent of his favorite artists and collaborators, who have included the late Sean Price, Big Noyd, and Copywrite. He carries a similarly dark sense of humor too, which you can hear in the Pineapple Express-sampling “Purple Grimace” and standout cut “Questions.”

The Main Ingredient also serves as a reintroduction of sorts to Sparkzwell, a journeyman emcee who made waves under his previous monikers (REALZ and iRealz). Its release also marks his inaugural project as a member of the Gold Chain Military/Poison Ring Regime (Planet Asia, Killa Kali, and others) and serves as a precursor to his forthcoming full length projects; The Top Emblem and Bloody Luciano.

Related: Realio Sparkzwell – Questions